Valve control system



Oct 10. 1939- H. KORNDORFER VALVE CONTRL SYSTEM Filed Feb. 24, 1939 f Man, w

W W M l is Attorney Patented Oct. 10,v 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE CONTROL SYS TEM New York pplication February 24, 1939, Serial No. 258,198

In Germany April 2, 1938 8 Claims.

My invention relates to valve control systems, more particularly to a control system for regulating the opening and closing of a valve for directing through a brief period of time a jet or blast of fluid under pressure to a circuit breaker or the like, and has for its principal object the provision of a valve control system of the aforesaid character having improved time delay means for effecting denite reclosure of the valve after 0 predetermined operation thereof.

In the operation of high voltage gas blast circuit breakers, for example, wherein the interrupting contacts are separated and subjected to a gas blast by fluid under pressure, such as compressed air, the supply of the compressed air to the breaker is controlled by a valve which can be opened either manually..or` by remote electric control. In the case of temporary short circuits and excess currents, the switching operations may follow each other very quickly within fractions of seconds. In such operation it is disadvantageous to separate the switch contacts through the full normal opening stroke, since the actuatlng means of the breaker is subjected to high 'stresses due to the great acceleration of the moving switch parts and also since there is large consumption of compressed gas due to a number of rapid complete switching operations.

Therefore, in order to conserve the supply of compressed gas and to eliminate excess wear of the circuit breaker, the interrupting contacts are for such temporary circuit faults separated but a fraction of the full opening stroke. That is, the contacts are separated but a sufiicient distance to permit the gas blast effectively to interrupt arcing as compared with the usual isolating distance for voltage protection. Since the arc is generally interrupted by a gas blast of very brief duration, the breaker is in readiness for immediate reclosing.

In accordance with my invention the blast control valve, which can be opened by conventional means, is reclosed after a predetermined time by energy storing means that is charged in accordance with the valve opening operation. The energy storing means coacts with a mass having a definite inertia to cause reclosure of the valve after rpredetermined operation thereof. The operation of the system is independent of varying factors, such as temperature and humidity fluctuatlons, since the time of reclosure can be deflnltely and precisely determined by adjusting the acceleration of the mass and the distance through which -lt moves.

Il My invention will be more fully set forth in the following description referring to the accompanying drawing and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

Referring to the drawing the single figure thereof is an elevational view, partly in section and partly diagrammatic in character illustrating a valve control system embodying the present invention. m

In the circuit breaker system illustrated by way of example, a source of fluid pressure, such as a pressure tank, is indicated at I for operating a gas blast circuit breaker 2. The circuit breaker per se forms no part of the present invention and can comprise a pair of separable contacts 3 and 4, between which the arc is formed upon opening of the circuit. 'I'he fixed contact 3 is of nozzle shape and is insulated at 5 from the cylindrical switch chamber 6. 4 is carried by the operating rod 'I to which is also secured a piston 8. The breaker is opened by fluid pressure acting on the piston 8 and is. closed through the rod 'l by suitable means. The contacts are connected to the terminals of the 25 exterior circuit as diagrammatically indicated at 9 and I0. Accordingly it will be understood that when gas under pressure is-admitted to the cylinder B, the piston 8 Will be depressed t0 separate the contacts and a gas blast will be directed through the nozzle contact 3 to extinguish the arc thereat. For the purpose of supplying a gas blast impulse of the desired character to the switch chamber 6, a valve II is arranged to control the fluid passage I2 leading from the sourcey I to the switch chamber. The valve, as shown, is closed and is opened by depressing the valve stem II to cause actuation of the breaker in the manner above described.

The opening means for the valve II comprises 40 an actuating solenoid I3 and a bell crank I4 pivotally mounted at I5 so as to coact with the upper end of the valve stem II at I6. The solenoid I3 is normally biased by a spring I to the upper reset position shown and is actuated in re- 45 sponse to an overload or fault by means of a current transformer or the like indicated at I1.

It will be apparent, of course, that, a relay of the conventional type may be used to actuate the solenoid in response to a fault in the main power 50 circuit. Accordingly when the solenoid I3 is actuated in response to a fault, the plunger is depressed against the bias of spring I3 to engage the lower arm of the bell crank I4 and open the valve II. 66

The movable contact m During the valve opening operation, an energy storing device or accumulator, generally indicated at it, is charged so as to be in readiness to initiate the reclosing of the valve at the desired time. The energy storing device itl comprises a mass-loaded spring i9 that is seated between a flange 20 carried by a reciprocably guided rod 2i and a movable guided casing 22 that likewise encloses the spring. The rod 2l is slidably mounted with respect to the casing 22 and also with respect to a mass x23 of cylindrical iorrn that is seated on the casing 222. The lower end o the rod 2l is connected through a lever 24 to the valve stem il' at 25 and at 26 through a pin and slot connection to the lever 2d.

rlhe lever 2d, which is pivoted at 226i', therefore causes upward movement of the accumulator rod 2l when the valve is opened to compress the massloaded spring Il@ by reason o the latched condition of the spring casing The latch ior this purpose can comprise simply a pivoted link 2l resiliently biased at 253 toward latched position with respect to a lug 2Q secured to the spring casing. The link 2l! can be freely suspended at 2i and is provided. with a suitable latching portion 2t. Accordingly when the valve il reaches the open position, the spring l@ is under cornpression and charged.

lThe valve reclosing operation is eiected through a linkage including a bell crank @il pivoted at Sii' and a link 3l connected to the crank at 32 and to the valve stem il at En the closed position of the valve illustrated, the linkage assumes a position similar to an underset toggle. A tension spring 3d tends to bias the toggle toward the stretched or straightened position indicated by dotted lines, which the linkage assumes when the valve is open. ln this position the arm 3d" of the crank Bil, which is in the path of the mass 23 is in the dotted line position shown so that it is spaced by distance a from the mass. Y

The valve reclosing operation is initiated by means of a link 35 having a lost motion connection at 36 with the link 2li so as to cause release of the latch after a predetermined opening of the valve. Upon release of the latch, the spring i9 acts to accelerate the mass 23 and to move the mass through the distance a to engage the crank 30, This movement of the mass through distance a takes place within a denite 'and predetermined time interval. As the crank 30 is rotated clockwise under impact of the mass, the toggle linkage causes closing of the valve to the position shown. During the valve closing operation the spring i9 is reset by reason of the lever 24 and the spring casing 22 is relatched as it drops again to the initial position shown.

it will be apparent that the reclosing time can be suitably adjusted by adjusting the spring tension, such as by longitudinal adjustment of the ange 2l) and by variation or" the mass and the distance a through which 'the mass is accelerated before engaging the crank 3d.

lt should be understood that my invention is not limited to specific details of construction and arrangement thereof herein illustrated, and that changes and modications may occur to one skilled in the art vwithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent o1" the United States is:

l. 'in a iiuid control system including a valve for admitting fluid under pressure to a :duid passage, means for actuating said valve comprising an actuating device for moving said valve in one direction, an energy storing device coactlng with said actuating means ior moving said valve in the opposite direction aiter a predetermined time including a spring, a mass arranged to be accelerated by said spring, andmeans for releasing said spring in accordance with predetermined operation of said valve.

2. ln a duid control system including a valve for admitting fluid under pressure to a fluid passage, means for opening and reclosing said valve comprising actuating means or opening said valve, a spring arranged to be stressed during said opening operation, a member having appreciable mass arranged to be accelerated by said spring for causing reclosure of said valve after a predetermined time oi operation thereof, and means .for releasing said spring in accordance with predetermined operation of said valve.

3. ln a fluid control system including a valveor admitting fluid under pressure to a fluid passage, means for opening said valve, a spring arranged to be stressed in accordance with said valve opening operation, means for latching said spring while it is being charged during said valve opening operation, a mass arranged to be accelerated by said spring upon release thereof and means arranged to be actuated by said mass after it has moved a predetermined distance for reclosing said valve.

fi. A valve control system for effecting immediate opening and delayed closing or" a valve comprising actuating means for opening said valve, a spring arranged to be charged in accordance with the valve opening operation, a mass for loading said spring, and means ior releasing said mass loaded spring after predetermined operation of said valve for causing reclosing of said valve.

5. In a fluid blast circuit `breaker system, a valve control system for effecting immediate opening and delayed closing of a valve for admitting an arc-interrupting blast to said breaker comprising actuating means for opening said valve, a spring operatively connected to said valve so as to be charged in accordance with the valve opening operation, a mass for loading said spring, means for releasing said mass loaded spring in accordance with predetermined opening of said valve, and means arranged to be actuated after predetermined movement or said mass loaded spring for causing reclosure of said valve,

6. A valve control system for effecting opening and delayed closing of a valve comprising actuating means for opening said valve, a spring arranged to be charged in accordance with the valve opening operation, said spring being mechanically connected to said valve, latching means for holding iixed one end of said spring during the spring` charging operation, a mass for loading said spring at said end, means operatively related to said actuating means for releasing said latch in accordance with predetermined opening of said valve and a linkage connected to said valve and adapted to be actuated by said mass loaded spring after determined movement thereof in response to the unlatching operation.

7. A valve control system for effecting opening and delayed closing of a valve comprising actuating means or opening said valve, an energy accumulator including a loading mass operatively connected to said actuating means so as to be charged during the valve opening operation, means for latching said accumulator during said charging operation, means including a lost inotion connection between said actuating means and latching means for releasing said accumulator after predetermined operation of said valve, and means arranged to be actuated after predetermined movement of said loading mass for causing reclosing of said valve.

8. In a valve control system including a valve for admitting an arc-interrupting gas blast to a circuit breaker, means for opening said valve, and mechanical time delay means for reclosing said valve comprising a mass-loaded spring and means for adjusting the acceleration thereof, means for charging said spring in accordance with the valve opening operation, and means for releasing said spring to initiate movement of said mass after predetermined operation of said valve, said mass after predetermined movement thereof causing closure of said valve.

, HUBERT KORNDRFER. 

